Ball-bearing hinge



May 15, 1934. L A, B|TT0RF K 1,958,465

BALL BEARING HINGE Filed July 12. 1950 Patented May 15, 1934 BALL -BEARING HINGE Louis A. Bittorf, Sterling, Ill., assignor to National Manufacturing Company, Sterling, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application July 12, 1930, Serial No. 467,413 i 4 Claims.

My invention relates generally to hinges and has to do particularly with hinges of the ballbearing type.

Various forms of ball-bearing hinges have been provided heretofore-some of which have been adapted for both right-hand and left-hand mounting. To provide for ball-bearing support when the hinge is mounted in either its righthand or left-hand position, it has been customary to mount on one of the knuckles of one of the leaves (at the opposite ends of such knuckle) ball bearings so that when the hinge is in its righthand position one of the ball-bearings is effective, and when it is in its left-hand position, its other ball-bearing is effective. In either of these cases, one ball bearing is always dead, so-to-speak.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a hinge including a plurality of ball-bearing units, all of which are so arranged that each ball-bearing unit at all times (in either right or left-hand installation) supports its equal or proportionate amount of the load and, in each installation, all of the load-supporting or wearing points of the hinge are ball-bearing engaged so that wear is reduced to the minimum.

Another object of my invention is to provide a hinge of the foregoing character wherein the knuckles of one leaf support the ball bearings, and the leaves are so related to their knuckles that the bearing-supporting leaf may always be positioned to assume the same relation with respect to the other leaf when in either its right hand or left hand mounting position, whereby such bearing-supporting leaf always positions the ballbearing units to support equally the load in either the right or left-hand mounting of such leaf.

Another and more specific object of my invention is to provide a hinge structure which includes one leaf with its median line offset laterally from the axis of its knuckle and the other leaf with its median line on-center with the axis of its knuckle, whereby the on-center leaf will fold flat against the other leaf in either the right or lefthand mounting of such leaf; and wherein the socalled on-center leaf has its respective knuckles supporting (against free displacement) similarly positioned ball-bearing units so that when the leaves are joined with the swinging load supported by the on-center leaf the ball-bearings are positioned on the underside of the knuckle to support the load, and when the swinging load is supported by the off-center leaf, the ends of the ori-center leaf are reversed so as to position the ball-bearing unit at the top of the latters knuckles so that the load is supported by both of the ball-bearing units.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved form of ball-bearing unit adapted to be secured to the knuckle of one of the leaves against free displacement, which ball-bearing is exceedingly simple in construction and cheap to manufacture, but which also provides for maximum supporting and anti-friction efliciency.

Still another object is to provide a noiseless and easy moving hinge, the leaves of which are each formed from a single piece of metal, properly shaped to give the desired knuckle formation.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this description progresses and by reference to the drawing therein- Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of hinge structure embodyingmy invention, and in this view I show the swingable load member as being secured to the so-called off-center leaf of the hinge;

Fig. 2 is a top-end view of the hinge structure shown in Fig. 1, and showing in dotted lines the swingable load member in a position which it may assume when such member is moved to close the hinge;

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but showing the swingable load member as connected to the on-center hinge leaf, and demonstrating the right-and-left-hand mounting adaptability of my invention;

Fig. 4 is a top end view of the structure shown in Fig. 3, and illustrating in dotted lines the relationship of the parts in the closed position of the hinge;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the hinge structure shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is a section taken substantially on line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a section taken substantially on line '7 7 of Fig. 5j

Fig. 8 is a section taken substantially on line 8-8 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged section taken substantially on line 9-9 of Fig. 5.

I have chosen to illustrate my invention as applied to a swingable door 20 mounted in a doorway including the vertical jamb structure 21. However, it will be understood that my invention has utility in every case where conditions of use, similar to those hereinbefore mentioned, are to be met.

Referring particularly to the hinge structure, as vbest illustrated in Figs. 5 to 9, inclusive, I employ a pair of leaves 22 and 23 which, together with their knuckles, are formed, preferably, from a single piece of metal. The knuckles 24, 25 and 26 of the leaf 22 are so formed that the median line of the leaf is offset laterally from a line parallel therewith and passing through the axis of its knuckles. This leaf 22, which I term the offcenter leaf, is offset, preferably to a distance approximately equal to its thickness so that the other leaf, which is of similar thickness, will assume a provision parallel with the leaf 22 as will be further explained hereinafter.

The other leaf 23 has its knuckles so formed that its median line is ori-center with a line passing parallel therewith (or coinciding therewith) and passing through the axis of its knuckles. I term this leaf the en-center leaf. With this arrangement, as is obvious from Fig. 2, when the leaf 23 has its knuckles 27 and 28 connected to the knuckles 24, 25 and 26 of the other leaf by the usual pintle 29, and the other leaf 22 is swung around (in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2) toward the leaf 23, these two leaves will assume a position parallel with each other with the oncenter leaf still on-center. Now, looking at Figs. 3 and 4 wherein the on-center leaf 23 is shown in inverted position; that is, a position in which the ends of such leaf are reversed as compared to their position as shown in Fig. 2. In such position the same described relationship of the leaves will exist when the leaves are folded parallel with each other. In other words, the leaves assume this particular parallel-folded relationship regardless whether the swingable load member or door 20 is mounted upon the right-hand leaf or the lefthand leaf or in a right or left-hand fashion as respectively illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive. It will be understood that this relationship of the hinge leaves may be such that the leaves (if desired) may fold flat against each other or may be slightly spaced in their parallel relation.

In this hinge arrangement, my invention contemplates the association of ball-bearing units with the knuckles of the on-center hinge leaf in such a way that such ball-bearing units equally support a part of the swingable load, all such ball-bearing units being constantly active and performing their load-supporting functions. Specifically, I mount at the corresponding end of the on-center leaf knuckles, ball-bearing units 30, 31 which are, preferably, identical in construction. With this arrangement, as will be noted from Figs. 1 and 2, when the hinge mounting is at the right-hand edge of the door, the on-center hinge leaf 23 is connected to the door jamb and such leaf is turned so that the ball-bearing units 30, 3l are at the top of its knuckles 27 28, whereby the knuckles 24 and 25 of the off-center hinge V22 seat and rest thereon. The load of the door 20 is, therefore, disposed upon the ball bearing units 30 and 3l equally. When the door hinge mounting is at the left-hand side of the door with the off-center hinge leaf fixed to the door jamb 21 and the on-center leaf fixed to the door, the ends of the on-center hinge leaf are reversed so that ball-bearing units 30, 31 are at the lower end of the knuckles 2'7, 28 with the load of the door supported upon both the ball-bearing units 30, 3l. Thus, the full purposes of the ball-bearing units are accomplished and the hinge is completely anti-friction.

The ball-bearing unit which I employ to accomplish the foregoing, is exceedingly simple in construction and very cheap to manufacture. Specifically, such unit takes the form of a cylindrical shell 32, semi-circular in cross-section which serves as a ball race. The so-called bottom part 32a of the shell is so shaped as to provide an annular ball-channel which receives the annular row of balls 33. The other end 32b of the shell terminates, preferably, short of the center of the balls 33 and, at this end of the shell, I mount a race plate 34 which freely engages the balls 33. Both the plate 34 and the shell 32 are provided with aligned openings which, in turn, align with the pintle-receiving openings in the knuckles 27, 28. To secure the ball race members 32, 34 in place upon the knuckle, against free detachment, I employ a tube 35 having a flanged end portion 35a which seats in a slightly inturned portion 36 in the exterior bottom part of the shell 32 and which passes through the shell and plate openings to frictionally engage the wall of the opening in the knuckle as clearly illustrated in Fig. 9. In every instance, I preferably make the t between the tube 35 and the knuckle sufficiently tight that when the leaves are separated the ball-bearing unit will be cal-, ried along with the knuckle and will not be accidentally displaced in ordinary handling of the hinge leaf. In some cases it may be desirable toV make the t between the tube 35 and knuckle sufliciently tight that the ball-bearing unit is permanently secured to the knuckle, but it may also be desirable to only nt the tube to the knuckle sufliciently tight that it, with the ballbearing, may be removed from the knuckle by the use of a suitable tool. It is to be understood, of course, that the fit between the tube 35, the shell 32, balls 33 and plate 34 is sufliciently free to permit the desired free turning movement of the tube with its supporting knuckle and relative to the shell 32. It will be particularly noted that this ball-bearing unitconstruction includes only the race members, the balls, and the attachment tube, eliminating the necessity of use of a covering housing or finishing part around the ballbearing as has been customary in similar hinges wherein the ball-bearing unit is mounted exteriorly of and between the knuckles. This arrangement, further, provides for the full benet of the ball-bearing action, thel plate 34 being sufciently thick to project slightly beyond the edge B2b of the shell so that the plate 34 rather than the shell 32, engages the adjacent knuckle and in which case the shell engages one knuckle end while the plate engages the other. In the drawing, I have shown the shell 32 of such diameter that it projects slightly beyond Vthe outer surface of the knuckle; but it will be appreciated that this shell and the size of the ball 33 may be so reduced as to be of substantiallyV the same i overall diameter as the knuckle without vdeparting from my invention and without impairing the ball-bearing support function of my hinge.

While I have shown onlyone form of my invention, it will be understood that changes4 in` details and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined by the claims which follow. The number of knuckles on the leaves may vary. For example, one leaf may have only one knuckle while the other hasY two knuckles. In that case I may employ the one-knuckle leaf as the on-center one with the same carrying the ball-bearing invertible as described.

I claim:

1. In a hinge, a pair of leaves having pintlereceiving knuckles, one of said leaves being oncenter with respect to its knuckles and the other of said leaves being off-center with respect to its knuckles to an extent substantially equal to the thickness of said on-center leaf, each knuckle of said on-center leaf xedly supporting at one of its ends ball bearing units providing ball-bearing joints between the knuckles of both said leaves at the points of load support, the on-center relationship of said one leaf rendering the same reversible by reversing its ends with respect to the other leaf so as to bring the ball bearing units without further manipulation thereof between the points of load support when the swingable load is connected to either the on-center leaf or said other leaf, and to permit the on-center leaf to fold at against said other leaf in either of the foregoing hinge leaf positions.

2. The combination with a hinge having a pair of leaves with intertting pintle-receiving knuckles; of a ball bearing unit adapted to be secured to one of said knuckles, which unit comprises a circular race plate adapted to seat upon the knuckle which supports the bearing unit, balls mounted on said race plate, a ring-shaped shell having its body so formed in cross section that it curves upwardly from said race plate around and over said balls into engagement with said balls at a point opposite said race plate, said shell being adapted to seat upon the knuckle adjacent that supporting the bearing unit and concealing said balls and also serving as a ball race member, said plate having a central opening aligned with the opening formed by said ring-shaped shell, and a tubular pintle-receiving member passing through said aligned shell and plate openings and engaging the pintle-receiving bore of the knuckle which supports said bearing unit for holding said bearing unit in assembled condition secured to said latter knuckle.

3. A ball bearing adapted to be secured to the knuckle of a hinge to provide a ball-bearing joint between adjacent knuckles of the hinge which comprises an exterior, ring-shaped shell member having its lower and inner side surfaces out away providing a ball race member, balls supported in said shell, a race plate seated against said balls and mounted so as to extend partly within the peripheral limits of said shell, said plate being of such thickness as to project it somewhat beyond the periphery of said shell, and a tube anged at one end extending centrally through said shell between said balls and through said plate with its flange seated against said shell and its other end adapted to tightly engage the bore of the knuckle to which the bearing is to be attached.

4. In a hinge adapted for both right and left hand mounting, a hinge leaf, a second hinge leaf which is reversible with respect to the first leaf for right and left hand mounting, a plurality of pintle-receiving knuckles on said rst leaf having their axes off-center with respect to the medial plane of said rst leaf, a plurality of pintlereceiving knuckles on said second leaf having their axes on-center with respect to the medial plane of said second leaf, said second leaf knuckles being adapted to t between the knuckles of said first leaf providing a plurality of swing-joints between the adjacent ends of all said knuckles, ball bearing units disposed between and providing ball bearing joints between alternate of said swing joints, and means for securing said units to said second leaf knuckles so that said alternate positioning of said units exists when said second leaf is in either its right or left hand position.

LOUIS A. BITTORF. 

